Kelli McClain, 44, of 4721 Roundview Court in Land O'Lakes was arrested on charges of fraud and forgery on July 12.

According to a search warrant affidavit, the Pasco Sheriff's Office Child Protective Investigations Divisions decided to remove two girls, ages 11 and 12, from the home due to "extensive pill use" by McClain.

The girls told an investigator they'd seen their mother making bills in the kitchen, in denominations between $10 and $50, and cutting them with scissors.

Someone from the economic crimes unit contacted McClain's mother-in-law, who told detectives she bought the printer for the girls but saw McClain printing out money with it.

In the last week of June, the mother-in-law saw McClain printing a $20 bill out of the Hewlett-Packard printer, and on or around July 1 she saw McClain print a $10 bill.

On July 11, detectives searched McClain's trash and found scrap cuttings on light green paper stock with pen and tape marks on them. A detective noticed that certain features about the markings were consistent with paper currency.

Detectives called the mother-in-law back and asked her to describe the money she'd seen McClain make, and the descriptions matched their findings.

They executed the search warrant the next day and found more than $1,000 in fake money, including 10 $100 bills.

After her arrest, McClain told deputies she used the fake cash at a local supermarket and gas station. She said she needed the money for food.